Virginia Tech's Logan Thomas and defense lead way to 17-10 win at Georgia Tech

Only three days of prep for Georgia Tech he described as void of pass attempts due to an abdominal strain, an inconsistent effort just five days earlier against Marshall and a game against what looked to be an improved Yellow Jackets’ pass defense all seemed to imply another rough outing was on the horizon for Thomas.

He obviously wasn’t interested in sticking to the suggested script, acting as the offensive complement to a ravenous defensive effort in Virginia Tech’s 17-10 win in Bobby Dodd Stadium. He completed 19 of 25 passes for 221 yards and a touchdown, and ran 16 times for 58 yards and a touchdown.

“I never really lost confidence in myself,” said Thomas, who completed his first nine passes for 121 yards, including a 21-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver D.J. Coles two plays after Georgia Tech fumbled the ball away on the opening drive of the game.

“I’ve always been able to move on to the next one, move on to the next play. The big thing is just not listening to (media). You guys are annoying, but it’s fine.”

While Thomas found what had been missing in his passing game, Virginia Tech’s defense continued to perform at the same high level it has played at all season.

Georgia Tech (3-1 overall, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) came into the game fourth in the nation in rushing offense, averaging 345 yards per game behind its option attack. It mustered just 129 yards rushing against Virginia Tech.

“We were trying to eliminate the big play. They got a few on us in the passing game, but just nothing run, and that’s what you have to do against that offense.”

The last time Georgia Tech had fewer rushing yards was Oct. 27 last season, when it generated 117 in a 41-17 loss to Brigham Young. Virginia Tech (4-1, 1-0) had no shortage of significant defensive contributors, but freshman cornerbacks Brandon Facyson and Kendall Fuller played huge roles.

Facyson, who grew up a half-hour from Atlanta in Newnan, had a key fumble recovery on Georgia Tech’s opening drive that Virginia Tech turned into a touchdown on its next possession, plus a tough interception, a forced fumble and two pass breakups.

With Georgia Tech trailing 17-10 late, working with no timeouts and facing fourth-and-13 from its own 42-yard line, Fuller intercepted quarterback Vad Lee with 1:06 left at Virginia Tech’s 22 to seal the victory. Lee was 7 of 24 passing for 144 yards and two interceptions, and added just 35 yards rushing.

“I kind of feel like every one is going to be like this,” said Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer regarding how he anticipates the rest of his team’s games playing out this season. “That’s why I’m glad my guys are mentally tough and physically tough.”

After coming out of halftime leading 14-3, Virginia Tech had to withstand a Georgia Tech offense that seemed to find its groove in the third quarter.

Georgia Tech went 82 yards in 14 plays, consuming eight minutes and 12 seconds and ending the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run by David Sims with 3:16 left in the quarter to cut Virginia Tech’s lead to 14-10 – classic, option-style, grind-it-out offense.

Virginia Tech safety Detrick Bonner, who had two pass interference penalties called on him in the game and surrendered Georgia Tech’s two longest receptions of the game (40 and 41 yards), helped extend Georgia Tech’s lone touchdown-scoring drive of the game with two enormous third down miscues.

On third-and-8 from Georgia Tech’s 20, Lee completed a 40-yard pass to running back Robert Godhigh, who beat Bonner on the play. Tyler also aided Georgia Tech’s drive when he was penalized for jumping offsides when the Yellow Jackets were looking at fourth-and-1 from the Hokies’ 31.

Bonner’s third-and-goal pass interference penalty in the end zone on receiver DeAndre Smelter moved Georgia Tech from the 10 to the 2 and set up Sims’ touchdown run.

Sims wasn’t fortunate enough to get two more yards when he needed them later in the game. Trailing 17-10 in the fourth quarter, Georgia Tech was staring at fourth-and-2 from its own 33. Sims churned forward for just one yard before being stopped by defensive end James Gayle, a Bethel High graduate, and Tyler with 8:17 left.

Cody Journell gave Virginia Tech its 17-10 lead on a 39-yard field goal with 10:25 left, but he missed a 25-yard attempt wide left five minutes later. Georgia Tech couldn’t capitalize on its last two drives down the stretch, failing to cross midfield on both possessions. Virginia Tech hasn’t given up points in the fourth quarters of its last seven games dating back to last season.

"It's been coming," said Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson of his team's poor offensive performance. "I've told you all along we're not very good with the option. We're terrible in fact, and it showed.

"We're not going to throw the ball 24 times and win very many games. That's not us. We've got to be able to run the ball, to hit the play action and those sorts of things, and we didn't do it."

Thomas and his receivers were the catalysts for an offense that otherwise struggled to run the ball. He accounted for 279 yards passing and rushing, but Virginia Tech was only credited with 276 yards as a team. Other than Thomas' carries, Virginia Tech had 11 rushes for minus-3 yards.

An abdominal strain that first appeared in pregame warm-ups prior to Virginia Tech’s 29-21 triple overtime win against Marshall and bugged him all week in practice started to act up again in the second half against Georgia Tech. He said the strain, which he said was located right next to his navel, became an issue as he waited to go on the field during Georgia Tech’s long third quarter drive.

“I felt fine until towards the end of the second quarter when I kind of started not getting loose.

“Then, in the second half – pretty much the whole second half it was really tight because (Georgia Tech) had the ball forever, but it was all right.”

He only passed for 72 yards in the second half, but Thomas was extremely productive in the first half with 149 yards. His primary target was receiver Demitri Knowles, who led the team with five catches for 67 yards.

“I thought our throwing and catching was really good,” Beamer said. “It keeps coming along. We’re going to be who we are and what we’re best suited to do. I think the offensive staff did a good job of saying, ‘OK, what are we capable of doing? What’s our strengths right now? Let’s play to those.’

“(Thomas) got sacked a couple times, but he had pretty good protection. He didn’t have any dropped balls. You do that, and it’s easier to play quarterback. I think people around him played better, too.”

After Facyson gave Virginia Tech the ball at Georgia Tech’s 27 when he recovered Lee’s opening drive fumble, which was caused by Kyle Fuller playing outside linebacker instead of his normal starting cornerback role, Thomas hit receiver Willie Byrn for a 6-yard pass play. Thomas proceeded to find Coles wide open across the middle, and Coles found a lot of room to finish a 21-yard touchdown pass that put Virginia Tech up 7-0 with 12:17 left in the first quarter.

The quick early lead was exactly what Virginia Tech was hoping to achieve.

“It’s always nice to jump on these guys early,” said Thomas, who added he and offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler decided prior to the game to throw the ball. “If you can do that, you have a really, really good shot at beating them just because of how well they run the football.”

Virginia Tech’s cushion grew to 14-0 in the second quarter when Thomas orchestrated a 10-play, 91-yard scoring drive that saw him complete all six of his pass attempts for 86 yards and run for 12 yards. He highlighted the drive on a 5-yard touchdown run with 11:25 left in the half.

Georgia Tech answered with a 49-yard field goal by Harrison Butker on its next drive, but the Yellow Jackets went on to get inside the Hokies’ 40 just once in their last seven drives after the field goal.

Thomas bounced back after completing 18 of 34 passes for 181 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions against Marshall. He had a streak of nine consecutive incompletions at one point in the game.

Now, he’ll enter next Saturday’s game against North Carolina needing three yards to pass Hampton High graduate Tyrod Taylor for Virginia Tech’s career passing yardage lead. Thomas has 7,015 career passing yards.

“For one, I just love playing in (Bobby Dodd Stadium),” said Thomas, who finished a combined 47-of-76 passing for 660 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions to go along with 49 carries for 168 yards and three touchdowns in three career starts against Georgia Tech.

“The fans are always great here. They’re always into it. Number two, this is how you get to the ACC championship. You’ve got to beat these guys. That’s my goal. That’s what I want to do.”